How much funding can be received?

The OAC Francophone Arts Service Organizations – Operations program provides operational funding to professional Francophone arts service organizations in Ontario to support their capacity to deliver high-quality services to a broad range of artists and arts organizations. Eligible activities include professional development, capacity building, advocacy, public awareness, information dissemination, and networking services; the maximum funding amount is not specified.

Financing terms and conditions

Candidat organizations must have revenues of at least $75,000 in the last financial year, as well as equivalent forecasts for the current financial year and the year of the application (for new candidates).

Eligible projects & activities

Provision of professional development services for Francophone artists and arts organizations in Ontario.
Advancement of public awareness and advocacy for the arts within the Francophone community.
Support and development of networking opportunities and capacity-building initiatives for the arts sector.
Dissemination of information and resources for Francophone artists and arts organizations.
Development of standards, fee schedules, and support programs to strengthen professional artistic practice in Ontario's Francophone arts sector.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 48,000

Implementing e-commerce platform for local artisan collective

$ 37,000

Launching upcycled textile collection for sustainable fashion label

$ 78,000

Installation of energy-efficient refrigeration units in grocery store

$ 43,000

Upgrading theatre accessibility with automated door systems

$ 22,000

Implementing cloud accounting for rural construction partnership

$ 65,000

Setting up commercial kitchen for food bank’s community meals

Eligibility criteria of the OAC — Francophone arts service organizations – operations program

The applicant must be a non-profit organization incorporated in Ontario, or a national non-profit organization with its head office in Ontario.
The organization must primarily serve Franco-Ontarian artists or arts organizations.
The organization must have been offering sustained, regular, and ongoing programming for at least two years prior to the application date.
The organization must have at least one paid staff member (part-time or full-time), or a plan to hire paid staff within the coming one to two years.
The organization must possess a governing board or equivalent body and a diverse revenue base.

Who is eligible?

Ontario-based non-profit francophone arts service organizations
National non-profit francophone arts service organizations with their head office in Ontario

Who is not eligible

Non-artistic organizations.
Municipalities.
Colleges and universities.

Eligible expenses

Salaries or compensation for paid staff (full-time or part-time) engaged in delivering professional arts service programs.
Costs related to the development and delivery of professional development services for artists or arts organizations.
Expenses for activities supporting capacity building and public awareness of the arts.
Costs related to advocacy for the arts sector.
Expenditures for disseminating information and resources to artists and arts organizations.
Costs associated with organizing networking opportunities and other supportive programs for the professional arts community.

Eligible geographic areas

Ontario

Eligibility criteria of the OAC — Francophone arts service organizations – operations program

Quality of services provided to a broad range of artists or artistic organizations.
Dedication of significant time and resources to serving members, especially those supporting or mandated to support artists who are Deaf, disabled, Indigenous, from culturally diverse backgrounds, and/or from the new generation.

How to apply to the OAC — Francophone arts service organizations – operations program

Step 1: Review Program GuidesRead the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) Operating Programs Guide.
Consult the OAC Assessment Process Guide for details on evaluation procedures.
Step 2: Confirm EligibilityContact the program officer for eligibility verification if you are a new applicant.
Step 3: Register AccountsCreate or update your organization’s profile in Nova, the OAC’s online grant application platform.
Open a CADAC (Canadian Arts Data / Données sur les arts au Canada) account if you are a new applicant.
Step 4: Prepare Application MaterialsComplete answers to all questions in the annual or multi-year application form, available approximately two months before the deadline.
Compile financial and statistical data for submission through CADAC.
Upload your organization’s most recent financial statements to CADAC.
Gather optional artistic samples if applying for an annual or first-year multi-year grant (audiovisual or written representations of your services).
Prepare required supporting documents: summary table of membership categories (with fee amounts), table of membership distribution by region.
Optionally include other supporting documents such as membership brochures or survey examples.
Step 5: Submit ApplicationAccess Nova to complete and submit the online application form along with all required and supporting documents.
Ensure all financial and statistical reports are submitted through CADAC before the application deadline.
Step 6: Await NotificationDecisions will be announced approximately five months after the application deadline.

Additional information

All applications to this program must be submitted in French.
The program is within the Ontario Arts Council three-year funding cycle; new applicants may only apply in Year 1 of the cycle.
Application forms are available in the Nova portal about two months before the deadline.
Applicants must read specific guides related to the program before applying, including the Operating Programs Guide and the Evaluation Process Guide.